Videogame Addiction is Real

Addiction & Recovery

It’s fun to get a hobby you enjoy doing. But can you push an interest too far? And when does it transform into an addiction? This is the problem that video games analysts are trying to answer.

Video games, with the advent of very basic gameplay, have caught American interest since the 1970s. Although the visuals of these foundational programs seemed rudimentary compared to today’s sophisticated, multicultural sports, this modern pastime quickly intrigued many teenagers, adolescents, and adults.

This quickly became obvious that video games might take up a great deal of time while the players try to win over and again and again. Today, video games are known as a dependency, close to compulsive gambling and a desire to compete is one of the main motivations.

What is Videogame Addiction?

Not everyone believes that video gaming can be addictive. Video games are assumed by many, including parents, to stimulate creativity, to give children a chance to work in collaboration and to develop cognitive abilities. Though this is true, video games can become addictive. Video game dependency is a real condition for mental health impacting millions of people worldwide.

In the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), the World Health Organization describes this as “gaming disorder”. The cause for the addictive quality of gaming is still unclear, although researchers suggest that the play cycle and winning will contribute to releases of dopamine, the same thing that causes happiness and euphoria when we perform ‘pleasing’ activities.

Causes of addiction

There are a wide range of reasons as to why video games are addictive. Nonetheless, one of the main reasons for video-games being so addictive is that they are built to be exactly that. As anybody else trying to make a buck, video game makers are always searching for ways to get more people to play and to play for longer.

Video games are designed to manipulate you by cutting-edge behavioral psychology. Games are sensory activities that provide a high dopamine amount, and an over-exposure to this stimuli level will alter the way a person experiences pleasure.

They do that by making a game difficult enough to hold you playing, but not so frustrating that the player eventually gives up. In other terms, a gamers’ performance always seems out of control. You continue living in a world where you receive immediate pleasure and reward. Games are so intense that you can waste hours and hours playing without even knowing that a minute has passed. You will flee and see tangible progress.

Signs of addiction

Video game abuse includes mitigating factors, as with any other addictions. People need to know how you or someone you care about is an avid participant to understand such signals. Such signs can be both emotional and physical, according to the Illinois Center for Addiction Recovery.=

Abuse Emotional Signs

Among the emotional signs or symptoms of video game dependencies are:

  • Feeling nervous and/or irritable when not playing.
  • Concern about past online activities or the intention of the next online session
  • Lying to friends or relatives about the time spent playing
  • Seclusion from others to spend more time playing

Abuse Physical Signs

Such physical signs or effects of video game dependency include:

  • Fatigue
  • Intense pressure or eye strain migraines
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by joystick or computer mouse overuse
  • Poor Hygiene

Risk of Videogame addiction in an individual’s health

Obsessive video gaming can adversely affect a changing mind or body. The consequences of hours spent sitting on the couch or at a computer desk may also impact adult players. Some of the main concerns of young players are described below:

  • Hours on a screen or in front of a monitor will impact the body of a young adult. The lack of physical activity in video gaming contributed to questions about the public health of American children and adolescents about weight gain, poor posture, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Although video games involve participation in computerized settings, children need to train for socializing with their peers. Understanding how to communicate in a real-world environment is an important social ability that people who spend too much time playing can forget.
  • The quick and fast motions of video games are a cause of concern for the loss of concentration among participants. For starters, children who spend a lot of time playing video games are less interested in reading books that require greater attention and focus.
  • Teenagers are a period of self-discovery and personal growth. Teens must be able to face painful emotions and difficult social encounters to become mature adults who face the challenges of their life. Fantasy role-playing video games may help kids develop and adapt important functionality to their experiences with others when they are utilized correctly. Nevertheless, because computer play is used as an escape mechanism, children may stop creating problems.
  • Children and young people who spend lots of time playing video games based on combat, fighting or abuse may display more symptoms of attack than those not playing the games.
  • Many players may become possessed by clicking images, lights, and colors of the video game displays. There is also evidence that compulsive play may contribute to repetitive stress injuries to the hands or wrists.

Treatment for Videogame Addiction

Video games have had a huge impact on the cultural attitudes, psychological development, as well as on the preferences of children and adults, both positive and negative. Although these games can be regarded as a challenge to the physical and emotional health of participants, they have also been marketed as effective conditioning devices and are even used in clinical settings for physical or cognitive therapy.

Video game addiction treatment may take many forms, from different rehabilitation methods or 12-stage plans. Many drugs can even prevent addictive behavior. CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment that can be effective. This counseling on mental health tells you how to modify gaming ideas to help you adjust your conduct.

It is not always easy to recover, but it is possible to do so. The problem of video games can and should be viewed as a harmful problem as any other drug. The first step in resolving dependence is to accept that dependency occurs. Please don’t hesitate to find help with your video gaming problem if any of the aforementioned signs or symptoms show up, or someone you meet.